A place to meet and discuss all things Moseley

Friends of Moseley Bog & Joy’s Wood Local Nature Reserve

Saved from development following a huge public campaign, Moseley Bog & Joys Wood became a nature reserve and supports a tremendous range of plants, animals and insects. Especially fascinating are the gnarled old trees, the fantastic displays of bluebells each spring, and the wildflower meadows in early summer.
Moseley Bog was the childhood playground of The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien, who lived nearby. He stated that the site inspired the ‘old forest’ in his books. People come from all over the world to discover his inspiration for themselves.

The site also has great archaeological interest, having two burnt mounds, as well as more recent remains such as the old mill dam and the foundations of Victorian greenhouses.

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country secured funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, Advantage West Midlands, BIFFA and other funding streams to improve site access and increase biodiversity. Interpretation boards are in place. The feature entrance and car park (open only when events are being held) have been completed on Yardley Wood Road. The boardwalk allows access to wheelchair and pushchair users. A considerable amount of the paths have been improved, including new gates and entrance at Pensby Close.

The Wildlife Trust website for Moseley Bog and Joy’s Wood has podcasts and and a wealth of other information, including how to find them. Please follow the link below :

The Friends of Moseley Bog and Joy’s Wood Nature Reserve has built on the success of previous groups and years of volunteering and campaigning. It was community action that saved the reserve from the developers, and was one of the catalysts for the formation of the Urban Wildlife Group, which became The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country.

The Friends are now one of the Trust’s local groups. If you’d like to join the Friends group or find out more about them you can contact mosbogfriends@gmail.com or follow them on Twitter @mosbogfriends

The Friends’ 2017 AGM is to be held at Sarehole Mill on Sunday, 14 May, at 2 pm, to be followed by a talk on the Bog’s fen area by Simon Atkinson. Anyone interested in Moseley Bog & Joy’s Wood is invited. There is no charge, and refreshments will be available afterwards.

You can also get involved in the conservation of the reserve by joining one of the Trust’s volunteer days. Have a look at their blogs to see what they get up to http://www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/blog